Bahamut
Bahamut is a powerful draconic deity. Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, is the King of the Good Dragons. He is a deity of good dragonkind (usually, but not exclusively, referring to metallic dragons) and a member of the Greyhawk pantheon. Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io. He is also referred to as the God of Dragons or the Lord of the North Wind. The draconic pantheon of gods consists of the leader Io, and his children Aasterinian, Bahamut, Chronepsis, Faluzure, and Tiamat. Description Bahamut is depicted as a massive, long and sinuous dragon with silver-white scales and blue, catlike eyes. According to legend, the exact color is hard to specify and may depend on Bahamut's mood, ranging from sky-blue to frosty indigo. About a quarter of the time, Bahamut wanders Oerth in the shape of a human or some other guise. He is said to have been encountered as a frail old hermit, with the seven great golden wyrms that accompany him disguised as seven canaries singing sweetly nearby. Tiamat and Bahamut His antithesis, named Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon and Queen of Evil Dragons, as well as the mother and deity of all evil dragons. Relationships Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io, and a fierce enemy of Tiamat, his evil sister and twin. He respects Heironeous, Moradin, Yondalla, and other lawful good deities. Some myths claim he is the son of Lendys, god of justice, and Tamara, goddess of mercy, but more commonly those deities are said to be among his younger siblings, which also include Aasterinian, Chronepsis (also said to be his uncle), Astilabor, Hlal, Faluzure, Garyx, and Nathair Sgiathach. Vassals A number of non-divine dragons and dragonlike beings serve Bahamut: Medrinia is a blue-green aquatic dragon said to have been born from the first tear that Bahamut shed after witnessing the desolation left after the first battle between Tiamat and the dragons of good. She dwells in the undersea palace of Sea Reach on the Prime Material Plane, allying with dolphins, sea-horses, and other aquatic dragons to defeat evil and protect good. Xathanon is a burst of golden energy with draconic shape, said to be a physical embodiment of the Positive Energy Plane. It was created by Bahamut from positive energy long ago, and it serves Draco Paladin unswervingly. It has a special hatred for Dhrakoth the Corruptor, a negative energy being created by Tiamat. Vanathor, the Golden Harpist, is Bahamut's advisor and bard, appearing as a gold dragon with a swirl of rainbow colors on his breast. The master of all things musical, Vanathor dwells with the Platinum Dragon in his palace. He is on good terms with all the gods of music, especially Corellon Larethian. He sometimes appears as a handsome half-elven bard. Some myths say he was actually a dead god from an ancient pantheon, given new life by Bahamut's magic. Falx Templamut is a very old silver dragon who is Bahamut's grandson. He has two wives, Big Alice and Sillitellimut. He dwells across the Solnor Ocean from the Flanaess, guarding caves filled with evil forces and beings. St. Leomar, a former Paladin of Bahamut who is a golden-scaled halfdragon. He built a notable church of Bahamut in the Kingdom of Ahlissa (on Oerth) and was therefore raised to exarch state by Bahamut, to attend to the needs of his followers on Oerth. The Seven Great Gold Wyrms are the closest of Bahamut servants, guarding his palace and escort him disguised as canaries when he is traveling the world. They also are emissaries of Bahamut in tasks that don't demand Bahamut's personal attention. Although powerful, they are not immortal: many gold wyrms in the circle have died, and new gold dragons are chosen to replace them. These are the current seven great gold wyrms: *''Borkadd the Claw'', a male gold dragon, is Bahamut's hand of justice. He is sent to enforce the law when there is no alternative. *''Kurya the Eye'', a suspicious female gold dragon. She is the spy of Bahamut, sent on tasks that demand secrecy. *''Sonngrad the Wing'', a female gold dragon who is the messenger of Bahamut. *''Gruemar the Voice'', a male gold dragon, is a negotiator who prefers peaceful words over bloodshed. *''Marroshok the Tail'', a massive male gold dragon, is the bodyguard of Bahamut. Though he is a merciless warrior, he is usually friendly and genial. *''Troannaxia the Presence'', a female shining gold dragon, who with her intimidating presence is sent to subdue resistance when nothing else will suffice. *''Urgala the Fang'', a female gold dragon who serves as a leader and chief tactician when Bahamut musters an army. Kuyutha is the best known of the exarchs of Bahamut. He is the Bahamut emissary to the dragonborn race. Kuyutha was the last of the greatest dragonborn paladins of the long-lost empire of Arkhosia, and he saved many of the surviving dragonborn clans after the fall of the empire. For his deeds, Bahamut rewarded him with a divine spark. Kuyutha now lives in Mount Mertion (one of the seven mounts of Mount Celestia), training a new order of dragonborn knights of Bahamut. Bahamut is closely allied with Moradin, and together with Kord they rule Celestia in a holy triumvirate. Tiamat remains his greatest enemy, and he opposes all evil and chaotic evil members of the pantheon. A new race known as the Quom also hates Bahamut, due to his role in unintentionally killing their god, Lakal. Realm Bahamut's realm, Bahamut's Palace, is said to exist "beyond the East Wind." It is unknown to most sages whether this means it is somewhere on the Elemental Plane of Air or somewhere between that plane and the Seven Heavens or Tri-Paradises, but in truth it may be found traveling in a whirlwind between the first four layers of Mount Celestia. It is a wondrous, glittering fortress with windows made from gems set in silver and gold, walls of inlaid copper and ivory, and floors of beaten mithril. When they are not traveling with their master, Bahamut's seven great golden wyrms tend to the palace and its treasures. Within the palace are open, unkeyed portals leading to all four of the first four layers of the plane as well as the Elemental Plane of Air and the Astral Plane. There are four gates nearby leading to each of the four winds, each guarded by a warden archon. The guardian of the gate to the North Wind is Yonel, the guardian of the gate to the South Wind is Kerkhoutha, the guardian of the gate to the West Wind is Moriel, and the guardian of the gate to the East Wind is Ruhiel. Bahamut's palace is the only known shortcut to the upper layers of the celestial mountain, though he and his servants only permit those who are worthy to pass through. Bahamut, Kord, and Moradin live in the realm of Celestia in the Astral Sea. Each rules a different mountain on the island, which they are able to change the shape of at will. Bahamut's palace is located on the mountain of Mertion, and is made of gold, platinum, and mithril, and the windows are made of gemstones; the palace also serves as Bahamut's hoard. Dogma Bahamut is very stern and disapproving of evil. He accepts no excuses for foul deeds. On the other hand, he is very compassionate, and has boundless empathy for the weak and downtrodden. He urges his followers to promote good, but to let people fight their own battles when they can, providing healing, information, or temporary safe refuge rather than fighting alongside those who can fight for themselves. Bahamut's own greatest priority is his endless war with his sister Tiamat. He opposes all her schemes, answering them move for move. He values wisdom, knowledge, prophecies, and song. For a dragon, he is neither vain nor greedy. Worshippers Bahamut is revered by all good dragons, but gold, silver, and brass dragons hold him in particularly high regard. The evil dragons do not revere him, but respect Bahamut for his power and wisdom. Clergy Bahamut only accepts good-aligned priests. They may be dragons, half-dragons, or other beings. They strive to constantly yet subtly act on behalf of good. They oppose evil, but their first mandate is to ensure they do no harm in the process. Temples Temples to the Platinum Dragon are very rare. Those few that exist are beautiful, elegant edifices characterized by clean, simple architecture and furnishings. Within them will be public rooms in which the faithful can gather and private rooms for meditation and recuperation. Dragons will not normally build temples, contenting themselves with simple symbols on the wall that they treat as shrines. Bahamut prefers his followers to worship him with deeds, not objects. Rituals Most of the quests that Bahamut's followers go on are apt to involve opposing Tiamat in some way. They have few formal rituals. Instead of praying aloud, they count their deeds as prayers, supporting goodness and opposing evil. Bahamut cares little for mere words. The Rite of Rebirth Rarely, humans, elves, halflings, or other humanoid races may hear a call, like a faint question in their hearts, asking them if they want to devote themselves completely to Bahamut. Normally it is first heard before adolescence, but sometimes adults hear it as well. Not all those who are called answer, but those who do may undergo the Rite of Rebirth. Those who commit to this demanding ritual put aside all their weapons and equipment, dressing in a simple linen shift. They meditate for a full day and night, their head filled with reminders of all they are giving up. If they elect to go on, they then enter an egg-shaped chamber at dawn and sleep until dawn the next day, emerging as a dragonborn, a noble, draconic, platinum-scaled version of their previous shape, ready to become a permanent champion against Tiamat and her spawn. Myths and legends Vorel Tiamat's enmity with Bahamut dates back to their creation, when Io made them; they were made with the intention of becoming complements and mates, but their personalities were too much at odds. Tiamat murdered Vorel, her eldest brother, and tried to frame Bahamut for the deed. Io realized who was truly to blame, though, and banished Tiamat from his presence. The Banishment of Tiamat Many myths claim that Tiamat lived for a long time on the Prime Material Plane, seeding it with evil dragons and dark magic. Eventually she was banished to the Nine Hells by Bahamut and a sky/sun god (perhaps Pelor or Heironeous).